JOY ON FIRE and Heterodyne in DC, August 26

On August 26, NJ’s JOY ON FIRE and Heterodyne (Baltimore & DC) join forces at Arlington’s iconic Galaxy Hut, which is located at 2711 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington Virginia equidistant to Clarendon and Courthouse metro stations (Orange/Silver Lines) a few blocks away. Admission is $5 (all of which goes to the bands); the venue is 21+.

JOY ON FIRE formed in 2009 in Baltimore, as SuperSharpShooter. When Chris (drums) joined the band in 2013, and Anna (sax) and John (bass) moved to North Carolina, they changed the name to JOY ON FIRE and released their self-titled debut album. Now based in New Jersey, and with the release of Fire with Fire, their second album and first with PROCRASTINATION RECORDS, JoF tours from Burlington to New Orleans, with frequent stops in Maryland, both for gigs and for recording at Mobtown Studios in Baltimore, where the group is currently working on its third record, Hymn.

Heterodyne is an improvisational project; its core performers are Maria Shesiuk (synthesizers and processed vocalizations) and T. A. Zook (NS Design Omni Bass, strung as a basscello). Although it is essentially a duo, when complex schedules permit, it performs with Patrick Whitehead on quarter-tone flügelhorn and trumpet; Bob Boilen on ARP synthesizer; Doug Kallmeyer on bass; Jerry Busher on drums; Sarah Hughes on sax; Leah Gage on drums; Sam Lohman on drums; Amanda Huron on drums; and Dan Gutstein, spoken word. For its August 26 performance, Heterodyne will be joined by Patrick Whitehead on Links to free downloads of Heterodyne’s sessions and performances: